Teaching Rebellion: Stories from the Grassroots Mobilization in Oaxaca (PM Press)

In 2006, Oaxaca, Mexico came alive with a broad and diverse movement that captivated the nation and earned the admiration of communities organizing for social justice around the world. The show of international solidarity for the people of Oaxaca was the most extensive since the Zapatista uprising in 1994. Fueled by long ignored social contradictions, what began as a teachers' strike demanding more resources for education, quickly turned into a massive movement that demanded direct, participatory democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Oaxacans raised their voices against the abuses of the state government. They participated in marches of up to 800,000 people, occupied government buildings, took over radio stations, called for statewide labor and hunger strikes, held sit-ins, reclaimed spaces for public art and created altars for assassinated activists in public spaces. In the now legendary March of Pots and Pans, two thousand women peacefully took over and operated the state television channel for three weeks. Barricades that were built all over the city to prevent the passage of paramilitaries and defend occupied public spaces, quickly became a place where neighbors got to know each other, shared ideas and developed new strategies for organizing. Despite the fierce repression that the movement faced?—with hundreds arbitrarily detained, tortured, forced into hiding, or murdered by the state and federal forces and paramilitary death squads?—people are determined to make their voices heard. "Once you learn to speak, you don't want to be quiet anymore," an indigenous community radio activist said. Accompanied by photography and political art, Teaching Rebellion is a compilation of testimonies from longtime organizers, teachers, students, housewives, religious leaders, union members, schoolchildren, indigenous community activists, artists and journalists?—and many others who participated in what became the Popular Assembly of the People's of Oaxaca. This is a chance to listen directly to those invested in and affected by what quickly became one of the most important social uprisings of the 21st century. What Began As A Teachers Strike Demanding More Resources For Education, Quickly Turned Into A Massive Movement That Demanded Direct, Participatory Democracy. Despite The Fierce Repression That The Movement Faced, With Hundreds Arbitrarily Detained, Tortured, Forced Into Hiding, Or Murdered By The State And Federal Forces And Paramilitary Death Squads, People Were Determined To Make Their Voices Heard. A Compilation Of Testimonies From Longtime Organizers, Teachers, Students, Housewives, Religious Leaders, Union Members, Schoolchildren, Indigenous Community Activists, Artists And Journalists And Many Others Who Participated In What Became The Popular Assembly Of The People's Of Oaxaca. From Publisher Description. The Police Attack And The Teachers Fight Back : June 14, 2006 -- The People Of Oaxaca Fill The Streets In Solidarity -- Human Rights Abuses Escalate -- The Popular Assembly Of The Peoples Of Oaxaca, The Appo, Is Born -- This Office Has Been Seized! : The Appo Shuts Down Government Buildings -- Community Self-defense Groups Form : The Topiles Of The Appo -- Guelaguetza Popular, An Indigenous Festival Reclaimed -- Repression In The Region Of Loxicha -- The March Of Pots And Pans : Women Take Control Of The Media -- The Movement Responds To Government Attacks Community-controlled Media -- American Journalist Shot At The Calicanto Barricade -- Artist Protests The Invasion Of The Federal Police -- Day Of The Dead Honors Movement Martyrs -- Students And Neighbors At The Barricade Defend Of Radio Universidad -- Priests In Solidarity With The Movement Confront Church Hierarchies -- Indigenous Organizer Describes Struggle For Autonomy -- Journalist Suffers State Repression On November 25th -- Bystander, Trapped In A City Under Siege, Is Violently Arrested And Abused -- Long Term Organizer Battles Privitization By Multinational Corporations -- Brad Will's Family Comes To Oaxaca Demanding Justice -- Political Prisoner Challenges State Repression And Movement Hierarchies -- The Day They Arrested My Dad : A Child's Involvement In The Movement -- The People Of Zaachila Replace Corrupt Mayor With A Popular Assembly -- The Other Campaign, Appo And The Left : Reclaiming An Alternative. Edited By Diana Denham & C.a.s.a. Collective. In 2006, Oaxaca, Mexico, came alive with a broad and diverse movement that captivated the nation and earned the admiration of communities organizing for social justice around the world. The show of international solidarity for the people of Oaxaca was the most extensive since the Zapatista uprising in 1994. Fueled by long ignored social contradictions, what began as a teachers” strike demanding more resources for education quickly turned into a massive movement that demanded direct, participatory democracy. Hundreds of thousands of Oaxacans raised their voices against the abuses of the state government. They participated in marches of up to 800,000 people, occupied government buildings, took over radio stations, called for statewide labor and hunger strikes, held sit-ins, reclaimed spaces for public art and created altars for assassinated activists in public spaces. In the now legendary March of Pots and Pans, two thousand women peacefully took over and operated the state television channel for three weeks. Barricades that were built all over the city to prevent the passage of paramilitaries and defend occupied public spaces, quickly became a place where neighbors got to know each other, shared ideas and developed new strategies for organizing. Despite the fierce repression that the movement faced—with hundreds arbitrarily detained, tortured, forced into hiding, or murdered by the state and federal forces and paramilitary death squads—people were determined to make their voices heard. “Once you learn to speak, you don”t want to be quiet anymore,” an indigenous community radio activist said. Accompanied by photography and political art, Teaching Rebellion is a compilation of testimonies from longtime organizers, teachers, students, housewives, religious leaders, union members, schoolchildren, indigenous community activists, artists, journalists, and many others who participated in what became the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca. This is a chance to listen directly to those invested in and affected by what quickly became one of the most important social uprisings of the 21st century. Copyright ......Page 5 Table of Contents ......Page 6 Maps......Page 11 Preface......Page 16 Introduction......Page 26 ELEUTERIO ......Page 44 MARINITA......Page 56 SARA......Page 66 MARCOS......Page 76 LEYLA......Page 86 CUAUTLI......Page 100 EKATERINE......Page 110 GENOVEVA......Page 120 TONIA......Page 132 FRANCISCO......Page 144 GUSTAVO......Page 154 HUGO......Page 166 YESCKA......Page 184 SILVIA......Page 194 PADRE ARIAS......Page 210 CARMELINA......Page 220 PEDRO......Page 234 AURELIA......Page 250 CARLOS......Page 264 JENNY......Page 276 DAVID......Page 290 DERWIN......Page 304 ADÁN......Page 318 Conclusion......Page 332 Teaching Rebellion Study Guide......Page 348 Chronology of the Popular Uprising......Page 357 Historic Context......Page 367 Photography Credits......Page 375 Glossary......Page 379 Acronyms......Page 382 >A series of interviews with participants that largely tends towards the voices of Christians, artists, NGOs, and others who might be more palatable to a broad US audience, the book can be faulted for overlooking the very rich conflicts that existed within the rebellion itself, for uncritically presenting (within a relativistic framework of a tapestry of voices) certain attempts to whitewash the movement as nonviolent, and for neglecting the more combative aspects of the rebellion. Nonetheless, the book provides a very good view of the creative aspect of the rebellion, and a fair reader not interested in cherry-picking will have to conclude that self-defense played a central role in the rebellion. - [Peter Gelderloos](/authors/OL8152011A)